Council's U-turn on 'extortionate' parking charges

Business owners in a town have welcomed a decision to significantly reduce parking charges that would have otherwise cost them £1,000 a year.

The annual permit fee for the Sandy Town Centre Car Park in Bedfordshire has now been set at £250 per annum.

The revised charges were agreed by town councillors at a meeting on Tuesday following concerns raised by local companies.

Alan Crossland, 55, who owns PointSCAN, a 3D laser survey analysis company close to the car park, said he was now "more than happy".

Crossland said he realised they had to contribute to the car park but "paying £1,000 a year was just extortionate".

He said his employees have used the car park for free since the business moved to Sandy in 2016.

He added they "can work with paying £250 a year which we can pay quarterly".

Sandy Town Council said the car park was always full which "limited turnover of spaces and, in turn, impacted customers' ability to access town centre shops and services".

Its objective in introducing parking charges was to free up more spaces and "ensure fair access to parking for visitors and shoppers".

It said it had listened to the concerns of businesses and agreed a revised annual fee of £250 would represent a more "proportionate and affordable option for businesses and residents wishing to park long term".

Details on how to apply for the revised annual permit fee are available on the Sandy Town Council website.

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